New, slimmer, more expensive: Sony’s decision not to compete this holiday season

Ben Kuchera writes: "Sony hasn’t been afraid to push the boundaries when it comes to pricing; the PlayStation 3 was the most expensive current generation system at launch, and the new PlayStation 3 hardware unveiled last night at the Tokyo Game Show is more evidence of the company’s insensitivity to pricing."

[GribbleGrunger]

I'm still not sure about the 'more expensive' argument. Sony have now said that they no longer have a RRP, so it's down to retailers to decide the price. Again, let's just wait and see

[yesmynameissumo]

The more expensive argument is just for attention and to try and (as usual) paint Sony in a negative light. I think a game, 90 additional gigs and $30 of Dust514 content (for $20 more than a 160GB PS3 with nothing additional) is a value.

[GribbleGrunger]

Well that's why I said let's wait and see. It appears that the price was for a bundle and not a standalone.

[Ben_Grimm]

Funny don't you think...

Multiple articles on N4G about the new slim model PS3. And I do mean multiple, in fact that is all the rage at the top of the N4G page. And it's understandable even though a new WiiU system is coming out.

Yet no where in there are people spewing "the media is biased"?

Yet multiple articles about anything negative about Sony and then it turns into "the media is biased".

I can't understand why that is.

[darthv72]

i already have the fat...
but i wouldnt mind picking up "slim and slimmer" to add to collection.

[yesmynameissumo]

@Ben_Grimm
I think you don't understand why that is because no one here has said the media is biased.

[StanSmith]

In regards to SCEJ and SCEA, they are offering a good deal on these.

When it comes to SCEE, they aren't. In the UK, SCEE has allowed retailers to sell the 12gb model at the current 160gb model price and the 500gb model at the 320gb price. The 12gb model is a rip off while the 500gb model is good value for money.

SCEE doesn't know it's arse from it's elbow. Wished SCEJ/SCEA ran the EU side of SCE.

[sikbeta]

@yesmynameissumo

New models are @ higher price than current models based on retailers prices, with deals and all that stuff and current slim is cheaper than the new ones, also from the new models some untis like the 12GB and the 250GB are more expensive

Everyone expected at least the 12GB to compete with the X360 4GB unit @ lower than $199

[Pintheshadows]

@Stan Smith.

It seems Sony UK learned everything they know about numbers and pricing from this.

Related video

[live2play]

oh boo hoo painting sony in a negative light waa waaaah :'(

come on dude you make it sound like nintendo and xbox do not get any flack

all 3 get flack

i just joked about how nintendos online was too advanced the human mind couldnt comprehend...
i got freaking bubbled down for trolling...!
and they were talking about nintendo

that should show you which company is hated more around here

[live2play]

oopss

[CernaML]

Oh lord... another tin foil hat wearing Sony fanboy police.

Looking at you Ben_Grimm.

[yewles1]

Because a $400 Halo 4 Bundle and $300 8GB Wii U are A-Okay as long as it's not "the other guys"...

[Xof]

I really doubt we'll see many deals from retailers, aside from Amazon.com's traditional $0.04 discount.

But yeah, it's not 'more expensive' from any perspective. It's a lot cheaper for Sony to produce, and it's being sold to consumers for the same price... but with more actual value.

[MastaMold]

Doom, doom, doom Sony is doomed, new slim doomed, doom, doom, doom this is fun

Sent from my PS Vita

[TheKayle]

slim version r made to be cheap....not to have the same or more price tag.....another big marketing fail but we r now used to this from sony

[fabod86]

where sir? in the land where companies sells goods to have no profit? ù.ù
uhm... yea lol

[DarkTower805]

Slims are made to be cheaper for the manufacturer to make, not always for the consumer to buy. It's no secret Sony of trying to dic itself out of a hole, this slim will do that by increasing profits for them.

[fabod86]

finally someone that ca see over his nose... nice ;)

[TheKayle]

yeah read the unboxing from ign...nice one man

[kma2k]

My thinking when seeing the price was if you offer a low price now what can you drop it to for the holidays? Its not out of the question that sony drops the price for black friday (which they normally dont) but they could & keep it there.

[CommonSenseGamer]

Think of how much more expensive the Vita would appear to the general consumer if the PS3 cost even less. Get a PS3 with LBP2 for less than a Vita! Not sure that would have the desired effect Sony is probably looking for this xmas.

[Pintheshadows]

Isn't the price for a bundle with 514 and U3 though?

[ChunkyLover53]

This PS3 is probably the same price, or its being bundled with games, which makes sense. I highly doubt Sony or Microsoft expected to match what Nintendo is going to do this holiday with the Wii U. New hardware is always a quick sell from a retail standpoint.

Sony and Microsoft will offer bundles and we'll see deals on Black Friday per usual, but they don't have to go out of their way to "compete" with the Wii U. Wii U is going to be a hard to find item and I bet a lot of people walk away with a PS3 or Xbox 360 instead.

So negative around here.....

[abzdine]

i wonder if people who write articles have been to school.
Bundle price is almost same as slim alone so why open your mouth dear writer to say BS.

[donbear]

Yeah, but why not just sell us the new slimmer version WITHOUT the bonus stuff and remove the difference in price? I wanna buy a new ps3 for my girlfriend so we can gameshare psn games, but i dont want to pay for a game i already own (uc3), all just to come away with a crappier version of a ps3 with a flimsy top loading bay (which attracts dust to all the worst places like the lens and the inner disc motor). All that just to not even save any money? I'd be better off getting a 160gb used.

[abzdine]

then go get a 160GB used. U seem to have a solution..

Nobody said this console will only be sold in bundles, you heard sony doesn't put prices on their consoles anymore so up to the retailers to do it or not.

[bangshi]

Yes, well - I wonder if you read those very same articles. Because it isn't just one price and bundle for the entire world.

Here is the situation in the UK.

Amazon sell the 'old' 160Gb Slim for £185.
HMV has said it will sell the new 12Gb Slim for £185.

That is less value. So it isn't more expensive, but you get far less for your money, so can be seen as being more expensive.

No bundled games. Less than 10% of the storage. Crummy disc loading.

I have a PS3 and love it, but this is just stupid.

[HiddenMission]

You guys do realize who the author is right..used to be at Ars Techina. This is the guy who feels that only people who work for big sites should be allowed large events like E3 and everyone else should pretty much stop.

This cat has and always will be the anti gamer and the hit craving member of the broken part of the press!

He's been called out for his activity in the past and refuses to confront any claims that question his integrity and his standing as an actual member of the press.

[HiddenMission]

Ben also wants us to believe that 7 years in and he still uses his 60 gig HD...really I'm gamer with a budget and I upgraded my fat 2 years ago because of space issues and it was the 60 gig. This is just his way of making it sound like bigger HD's are nothing a $60 game and another game equate to nothing...

...Ben epic fail buddy...epic fail

[Hazmat13]

im gonna buy it. lol i own all the other ones might as well finish my collection of PS3's. LOL

[StrawHatPatriot]

I was thinking Sony could release these PS3 models like this:

PS3 12 GB with PSVita for $349 to compete with the Wii U and force the market into thinking that the Wii U is the same generation as the PS3/360 and isn't all that special.

PS3 12 GB $99 (because Europe is getting a 12 GB model for 89.99 euros which converts to 116 dollars, then do conversion rate stuff)

PS3 160 GB $199 (250 GB will cost 70 dollars more, so reducing the storage by almost half should take off the price a little bit).

or take out one of the above and throw in a holiday bundle:

PS3 12 GB with PS All Stars Battle Royal $149

Forgive me if I'm being ignorant here but I think that would've done Sony wonders.

[StrawHatPatriot]

When I say Wii U same generation, I'm saying that Sony would force people into THINKING that, not that I'm a nintendo hater or anything.

[violents]

The 250 Gig unbundled version is only 250, that's only 50 bucks more than a base model unbundle 4 gig xbox. Doesn't sound unreasonable to me. You get a lot more storage and all the other usual bells and whistles for only 50 bucks more, that's less than the cost of the next call of duty game. stop trolling

[bangshi]

OK, now look at the pricing for outside the US and repeat that paragraph.

Tip: you can't.

[violents]

I dont really care about pricing outside the us because i dont live there. If the pricing is that much different in other countries, well sorry about you luck, come to america man.

[dubt72]

I think the older slim looks better. This one looks like a wetnap dispenser with a sliding door to maintain moisture.

[seanoc]

The 12GB price looks unflattering against the price of the 160GB model. What is the RRP of the 160GB model though?

Sorry I don't have time to check myself.

If retailers have been heavily discounting it to get rid of their remaining stock, and the RRP is actually around the £240 mark, then the price of the 12GB model isn't that bad.

However, I'd still advise newcomers to pick up the older models as they have some attractive prices at the moment.

[Smokingunz]

I rather take my money and buy a wii2 instead! Sorry Sony.

How about I just buy a bigger hard drive and install it in my current Ali
Model?